Lightning arrester



March 30 1926.

' E. w. BRElscH LIGHTNING ARRESTER Filed March 15, 1922 WITNESSES: INVENTOR v EJgarWB/E/Sc/Z Patented Mar. 30, 19 26.

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Application filed larch 15, 1982. Serial lo. Q5483.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDGAR W. BREISCH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Edgewood, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in Lightning Arresters, of which the following is a speciti- .cation.

My invention relates to lightning arresters, more especially to arrester-s of the sparkgap type and it is among the objects of this invention to provide a lightning arrester which shall be compact, of simple and inexpensive construction and efficient in operation.

It is another object of my invention to provide a lightning arrester of this type in which the structural parts shall be adapted to be assembled in any desired number of units to obtain the capacity desired;

In racticing my invention, I employ a plurality of substantially ring-shape spacing collars of a suitable insulating material which are adapted to receive electrodes held in specific relation to one another to provide predetermined gaps therebetween.

In the accompanying drawing, constituting a part hereof, in which like reference characters designate like parts,

Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view, partially in elevation, of an arrester having a plurality of spacer and electrode elements utilized in my invention; and

Fig. 2 is an exploded view of the insulating spacers and the electrodes.

The insulating spacers 1 are parallel-face rings of porcelain or of molded material, or they may be cut from tubes made of fibrous sheet material impregnated with a phenolic condensation product spirally wound upon a heated mandrel and pressed between pressure rolls to consolidate the binder, resulting in a unitary substance of high dielectric strength which maintains its shape under varying atmospheric and temperature conditions to which it may be subjected.

The rings 1 are provided with pairs of recesses 2 and 3 formed at right angles'to each other on opposite faces thereof. Correspondingly shaped projecting tongues 3 are formed on the sides of the rings opposite recesses 2 to interlock with those of adjacent rings when they are stacked, so as to maintain the resgective relation of the parts in the assemble structure. A plurality of electrodes 4 of suitable material, such as strip brass or the like, provided with knurled or otherwise roughened surfaces 5 on both sides to provlde a greater surface area, are shaped to fit into the recesses 20f the insulators 1. A pair of these electrodes are assembled at rig t angles in one of the spacing insulators, a series of which are stacked in superposed layers within a container 6 of a suitable material, such as metal, porcelain or molded insulating material and secured therein by suitable end blocks 7 and 8 which are held in their respective positions by screws 9.

A pair of terminal screws 10 and 11 for making contact with a pair of leads 12 and 13 are secured in the end blocks 7 and 8, respectively. The distance between the ter-' minals 10 and 11 and electrodes 4 is determined by the potential at which it is desired to have the gaps of the arrester break down. The number of gaps between successive electrodes may be varied by the number of spacers and electrodes contained in a stack,

and the accuracy of the spark-gap is dependent upon the machining of the insulators 1 which can be controlled to within a few thousandths ofan inch.

It will be readily understood from the above description of my invention that lightning arresters formed in accordance therewith are of simple and inexpensive construction and may be uniformly produced in large quantities. It is obvious that this construction, because of its flexibility, is adapted for use in lightning arresters of any desired capacity and may be economically employed in power transmission circuits and the like.

Although I have described a specific embodiment of my invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made in the details of construction thereof without departing from the principles herein set forth. For instance, the electrodes may be of any desired shape and width and the spacers may be formed in the desired shape by molding or pressing the same of a suitable insulating composition. thereby avoiding the machining necessary in cutting oif rings, forming the recesses and the like.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a lightning arrester, a container comprising a housing, a plurality of insulating spacers of fibrous material and a.

- screws secured thereto in central alignment with said electrode.

2. In a lightning arrester, a container comprisin a tubular housing of insulating material, a plurality of insulating spacers of spirally wound layers of fibrous sheet materi'al, and a phenolic condensation product, a plurality of electrodes comprislng flat strips of conductor material, the flat surfaces of which are knurled and end blocks. in the ends of said tubular housing, said end blocks having terminal screws secured thereto in central alignment with said electrodes- I I 3.111 a lightning arrester, a container comprising a tubular housing of insulating material a plurality of insulating spacers of spirally wound layers of fibrous sheet material and a heat-hardened binder, said spacers having a plurality of recesses therein and having projecting tongues formed thereon adapted to fit into some of said recesses, a plurality of electrodes comprising fiat strips of brass, the surfaces thereof being knurled, said electrodes being adapted to fit into the recesses of said spacers and end blocks in the ends of said tubular housing and secured thereto to firmly hold the insulating spacers and electrodes in place, said end blocks having terminal screws secured thereto in central.

alignment with said electrodes.

4. In a lightning arrester, a container comprising a housing, a plurality of insu- 'lating spacers having recesses and tongues provided in the parallel faces thereof, said recesses being adapted to receive a plurality of electrodes and said spacers being assembled in said housing.

In a lightning arrester, a container comprising a housing, a plurality of insulating spacers having recesses and tongues provided in the parallel faces thereof, said recesses being ada ted to receive a plurality of electrodes at right angles to each other and across said spacers, said spacers being assembled in said housing.

6. In a lightning arrester, a container comprising a housing, a plurality of insulating spacers having-recesses and tongues provided in the parallel faces thereof,-said recesses being adapted to receive a plurality of electrodes at right angles to each other 7. A dischargega device comprising a.

: plurality of interloc ng insulating spacers constituting a self alining column and dischargeelectrodes held by said spacers.

8. A discharge-gap device comprising a plurality of tubular insulating spacers constituting a tubular column, said spacers having interlocking recesses and projections, and discharge-gap electrodes held between said spacers.

9. A discharge-gap device comprising a plurality of tubular insulating spacers constituting a tubular column, said spacers having interlocking recesses and projections, and discharge-gap electrodes held between said spacers, successive electrodes being held by different portions on the periphery of said tubular spacers, 10. A discharge-gap device comprising a plurality of tubular insulating spacers constituting a tubular column, said spacers having interlocking recesses and projections, discharge-gap electrodes held in the recesses between said Spacers, successive electrodes being held by different portions on the periphery of said tubular spacers.

11; A discharge-gap device comprising a plurality of insulating spacers assembled one upon the other to constitute a tubular column, and a. plurality of conducting strips disposed crosswise in the center of said column, successive strips being held between successive spacers at different portions of the periphery of said column.

12. A discharge-gap device comprising a plurality of interlocking insulating spacers constituting a self alining column, discharge electrodes ield by said spacers and means for holding said spacers together.

13. A discharge-gap device comprising a plurality of tubular insulating spacers constituting a tubular column, said spacers having interlocking recesses and projections, discharge-gap electrodes held in the recesses between said spacers, successive electrodes being held by different portions on the riphery of said tubular spacers and a. tul i ular casing enclosing said spacers.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto iulgcribed my name this 10th day of March,

EDGAR W. BREISCH. 

